William t



(No Model.)

W. T. STRASSERY.

Shoe Fastening.

Patented April 19,1881

. mpp 1% a 11 0..Wbtrllll ATTURNEY I N-PEI'ERS, 'j' qmumocmmaz,WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATn vT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. STBASSER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,283, dated April19, 1881.

" Application filed February 18, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. STRASSER, of the city of New York, in thecounty of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Shoe- Fastenings; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to a means for securing the shoe in place on thefoot, in lieu of buttons, hooks, lacings, elastic webbing, or otherdevices, such as are usually employed in connection with shoes andgaiters.

The invention consists in a novel? construction and combination, with ashoe or gaitcr, of a ribbed or flanged welt or strip, a series of ringsor loops, a sliding or folding tongue orflap, and one or more hooks,buttons, or other projections, whereby provision is made for closing andfastening the ankle portion of the shoe and as readily unfastening andopening the same in order to remove it, as hereinafter more particularlydescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of a shoeprovided with the improvement and in a position for inserting the foottherein. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position of the partswhen the shoe is closed. Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal section takenin theline w w of Fig. 2.

This invention may be applied to shoes or gaiters of variousdescriptions, and may be shown it is attached to the V-shaped opening inthe upperby being stitched to theedgesthereof. This welt or strip isT-shaped in its crosssection that is to say, it has a centrallongitudinal rib or bead, c, on one of its sides, and two flanges, d,projecting at right angles laterally from said rib or head. The Welt orstrip is secured to the edge of the opening with the rib or bead cnearest to the surface of the upper.

D represents a tongue or flap, of leathe ror other suitable flexiblematerial, having its lower end secured to the u'pper below thecommencement of the division thereof. To the inner surface of thistongue or flap are secured, by stitching or otherwise, a number of loopsor divided rings, E, which slide on the flanges d of the welt or strip0, and which may be made in one piece, if necessary. To

the upper edges of the divided portions of the shoe are attached hooksG, or other suitable projections, for engagement with rings or eyelets fnear the upper end of the tongue or flap D.

When the shoe is to be put on the foot the parts are in the positionshown in Fig. 1, with the ankle portion opened and the tongue or flapgathered at the lower part of the division in the upper. When the shoeis on the foot it is fastened by pulling up the tongue or flap D, so asto cause the rings or loops E to slide on the welts O. and draw theedges of the divided portions together, and then hooking the rings oreyelets f over the hooks or projections G, as shown in Fig. 2. To removethe shoe, the tongue or flap D is unhooked and then gathered to thefirst position, which allows the ankle portion of the shoe to opensufficiently far to permit the foot to be withdrawn.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure books or projections Gr on thedivided ankle In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereuntoset my hand this 17th day of February, 1881. 1

WILLIAM T. STRASSER.

\Vitnesses:

' EDGAR GARRETSON,

FRANCIS G. BOWEN.

portion of a shoe, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed. 1

